House car



5 Sheets-Sheet l C. E. EKLlND HOUSE CAR Filed Jan. 21, 1936 Nov. 2,1937.

ATTX

C. E. EKLIND Nov 2, 1937.

HOUSE CAR Filed Jan. 21, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. E. 'EKLIND Nov. 2,1937.

Hons]: CAR

Filed Jan. 21, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 -f/v l/E/V TOE CA EL 5 EKL/NUPatented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE HOUSE CAR ApplicationJanuary 21, 1936, Serial No. 60,085

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in railway house cars.

Various proposals have been offered looking'toward the conversion ofwooden sheathed railway house cars having metallic underframes tometallic sheathed house cars whose cubical capacity is substantiallyincreased. According toone proposal the existing metallic side sills ofthese wooden sheathed carshave been utilized and metallic membersemployed to close the space introduced by the spacing of the metallicsheathing of the car side walls outwardly of the side sills to providefor the desired increase in inside width of the car and, hence, in itscubical capacity. The posts of the car side walls have, similarly, beenspaced outwardly of the side sills, the spacing of which defines thewidth of the car underframe.

The instant invention departs from this proposal which has now becomeaccepted practice in railway house car conversion as well as all otherproposals and affords a conversion for wooden sheathed house cars havingmetallic underframes and more especially in the case of those woodensheathed house cars whose underframes embody wooden side sills. Theinstant invention presents also a conversion of wooden sheathed housecars wherein the metallic side sills of the car underframes had best bereplaced and as well for a conversion to metallic railway house cars ofthose freight cars not designated as house cars which may or may not intheir former condition be provided with side sills. In these instancesthe desired increase in inside width and cubical capacity may beobtained.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a car sideconstruction which may be erected as a unit or not,- as desired,applicable for the conversion of wooden sheathed cars to me- 40 tallicsheathed cars and as well in the construction of new metallic housecars, wherein an increase in cubical capacity is obtainable and themember for spanning the interval between the sheathing and the crossmembers of the underframe of the car constitutes the side sill of saidunderframe.

A further object is to provide a car side construction, the bottommember of which extends continuously from end to end of the bar wherebysaid member when secured to the cross members of a car underframe servesnot only to span the gap between the sheathing and the cross members butserves also as the side sill of said underframe thereby dispensing withthe need for a separate side sill.

A further object is to provide a car side wall as a unitary structureapplicable as such in railway house car construction, wherein said sidewall unit shall incorporate a combined spanning and side sill member.

A further object is to provide a car side wall structure including acombined spanning and side sill member of angular constructionpresenting an upstanding flange which is deformed in the door openingprovided in said side Wall to constitute a support for a threshold platedisposed in said door opening.

A further object is to provide side wall construction for metallicrailway house cars including a side plate, door and intermediate posts,metallic sheathing and a combined spanning and side sill member securedto the sheathing and extending from end to end of said side wallconstruction wherein said combined member lies below the ends of saidposts to permit employment of substantially the same connecting bracketsfor establishing direct connection between the bottoms of said posts andsaid member.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the descriptionthereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a partial elevation of a side wall construction embodyingthe instant invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2--2 with parts omittedin order to better illustrate the invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the side wallconstruction at the lower righthand corner of the door opening providedin the side wall.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of theinvention the numeral l0 designates in its entirety a side wallconstruction for railway house cars, the extent of which issubstantially from one end of the side wall to and including a portionof the door opening ll provided therein. It is to be understood that theremaining portion of the side wall In is complemental to that portionillustrated.

The side wall construction l6, which is preferably erected as a unit forapplication in the construction or in the conversion of a railway housecar, embodies a side plate l2 which extends continuously from end to endof the side wall. As

illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings the side plate I2 is of Zcross section and is arranged with its web I3 horizontally, the outervertically disposed leg l4 extending downwardly and the inner verticallypositioned leg i5 extending upwardly. To the side plate i 2 door posts,one of which is indicated at l6, and spaced intermediate posts I! aresecured. This securement is effected in the caseof each door post bymeans of rivets I 8 passing through the web I9 of the door post and thedepending leg M of the side plate. Additional securement of the upperportion of the door post to the side plate is obtained by means of anangle member 29, oneleg 2| of which is extended upwardly above the leg22 for securement to the inner vertical leg l5 of the side plate as bymeans of rivets 23 while the leg 22 is riveted as indicated at 24 to theinwardly extending flange 25 of the door post. A

further securement between the upper portion of the door post and theside plate is had by means of an angle clip 26, the flange 2] of whichis secured to the inwardly extending leg 25 of the door post and theflange 28 of which is riveted to the depending leg l4 of the side plate.By reason of this securement it will be apparent that a veryrigidconnection between the upper portion of the door post and the side plateis obtained. It will be clear from the foregoing description of thesecurementof the upper portion of the door post to the side plate,together with the fact that the'door post is of substantially Z crosssection, that said post is arranged with its web v I9 parallel to theside wall construction. The inwardly extending flange 25 and the outwardly extending flange 29 are at right angles to said wallconstruction.

For the securement of the upper portion of each of the intermediateposts I! to the side plate the member 20 and the clip 26 are utilized inaddition to the securement of the intermediate post to the depending legl4 of the side plate. It will be clear from Figure 2 of the drawingsthat each of the intermediate posts is arranged relative to the sidewall construction so as to present its web 39 at right angles to theside wall and its flanges3l and 32 extending parallel thereto. By virtueof this arrangement of the intermediate door posts the flange 22 ofmember 26 will be riveted as indicated at 33 to the web 36 of the postwhile the flange 2| will, as in the case of the door post, be riveted tothe upstanding leg l5 of the side plate. Similarly, because of thisarrangement 'of the intermediate post, the flange 21 of the angle clip26 will be secured to the web of'the intermediate post by means of therivets 33 utilized to secure the flange 22 of the member 26 to said web.The flange 28 of the clip 26 will be riveted to the depending leg M ofthe side plate and the flange 3| of the intermediate post will also beriveted to the depending leg 14 of the side plate.

From the points of securement of the posts to the side plate these postsextend downwardly and terminate, as indicated in Figures 4 and 5 of thedrawings, short of the cross members 34 of the car underframeQ Asshownin these figures of the drawings the door and intermediate posts arespaced outwardly beyond the ends of the cross members a distancesufiicient to give the desired increase in inside width of the housecar.

Thelower ends of the door and intermediate post terminate above the web35' of a substantially Z-shaped member 36 which extends continuouslyfromend to end of theside wall con- ;40 and a vertical flange 4|.

secured together and reinforced by means of an flange 31 of thecontinuous member.

for the proper disposition of the leg 31 at the struction. The member 36is so disposed that its web 35 extends substantially horizontally whilethe vertical flanges 31 and 38 are directed respectively upwardly anddownwardly from the web 35. The flange 31 is disposed outwardly whilethe flange 38 is disposed inwardly. Upon securement of the lower ends ofthe door and intermediate posts the frame. construction for the sidewall embodying the side plate, the door and intermediate posts and thebottom member 35 becomes integrated.

This securement is obtained by means of brackets 39 preferably in theform of castings.

Each bracket 39 comprises a horizontal flange These flanges are integraltriangularly shaped rib 42. Spaced flanges 43 and 44 extend upwardlyfrom the horizontal flange 40 for securement to the door andintermediate posts. With regard to the door post Hi the flanges 42 and43 are disposed upon oppositesides of the inwardly extending flange 25and are riveted to said flange as indicated at 45; In-the case oftheintermediate post the flanges 43, and 44 are disposed upon oppositesides of the-'web 30, being secured thereto by means offrivets 46 Toobtain the securement of the flanges 43 and 44 to the doorandintermediatepoststhe web 35 of the botom member 36 is coped, asindicated at 41, to permit extension of said flanges upwardly throughsaid web for the purpose indicated. It will be observed from Figures 4and 5 of the drawings that by reason of the employment of a continuousbottom memacross the door opening 'H of the side wall. The

connecting brackets 39 are fastened to the web of the bottom continuousmember 36 by means of rivets 49 and are fastened additionally to theinner depending flange 38 of the continuous member 36'by means of rivets50 and 5|. 'The side wall construction embodies additionally metallicsheathing composed preferably of a plurality of-metallic panels 52extending between and-secured tothe web of the door post as by meanspfrivets 53 and to the flange 3| of each intermediate post as by rivets54. At each intermediate post the panels 52 are overlapped, as showninFigure 2 of the drawings.

Referring to Figures 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings it will be seen that theupstanding vertical leg '31 of the continuous member 36-is arranged invertical alinement with the web l9 of the door post I 6 and theflange'3l of each intermediate post. In view of this fact eachintermediate post is coped, as indicated at 55, in order to receive theTo provide door post, the web 19 of the latter is coped, as indicated at56. The inwardly directed flange 25 of'the door post extends downwardlybelow the web so as to provide for securement of the door 'post'to theupstanding flanges '43 and 44 of the 2=',o9s, 1s3

-are riveted to the depending leg M of the side plate as by means ofrivets 58" and the lower margin of 'each of the metallic panels isriveted to the upstanding flange 3'! of the continuous member 36 as .bymeans of rivets 59. r

It will be apparent from a consideration of Figure 5 of the drawingsthat the upstanding flange 31 of the continuous bottom member 36projects above the upper plane of the floor 51. To eliminate thisprojection and at the same time maintain the cross section of thecontinuous memberiifi, the flange 31 is bent outwardly to provide ahorizontal flange Bil lying in the plane of the. floor 51. This flangeGil is utilized additionally to provide a support for the projectingportion 6| of a threshold plate 62 disposed upon the floor-in the dooropening.

Guide retaining and weatherproofing means is provided on. the car sideconstructionby means of a Z-shaped member 63 arranged with its upstanding leg 64 riveted to the depending leg i i of the side plate, itsweb 65 extending outwardly so as to dispose the depending leg 65 inspaced relation to the depending leg [4 of the side plate and in spacedrelation to a substantially J-shaped header member 61, the upstandingflange 68 of which is riveted to the depending leg M of the side plateas by rivets 69. The header member 6'! provides a trough To which servesto collect and drain water outwardly of the door opening.

As indicated hereinbefore the construction hereinabove described ispreferably erected as a unit for application in the construction or inthe conversion of railway house cars. This application is eflected bymeans of the securement of the vertical depending leg 38 of the bottomcontinuous member 36 to the ends of the cross menu bers M as clearlyindicated in Figures 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings. The side wallconstruction is secured at each end to a car end designated generally bythe numeral ii. The continuous member 36 is, therefore, constructed tohave such cross sectional area that it will provide not only the meansfor spanning the gap between the lower margin of the sheathing and theends of the cross members but will function at the same time as the sidesill for the car underframe. The continuous member 3%, therefore,dispenses with the separate side sills heretofore utilized and takesunto itself the function formerly performed by such separate side sill.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in thedetails of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. Itis intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes hecomprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by thescope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A railway house car converted from a wooden sheathed house car havingan underframe, including metallic cross members and side sills, saidconverted house car embodying the parts of said underframe with theexception of said side sills which are removed, metallic side and doorposts spaced laterally outwardly of the ends of said cross members, sideplates, means securing the upper ends of said posts to said side plates,metallic sheathing, means securing the upper margin of said sheathing tosaid side plates, means securing said sheathing to said posts inlaterally outwardly spaced relation to the ends of said cross members,metallic connecting members for closing the space between said sheathingand cross members secured to the lower margm of said sheathing, saidconnecting members extending inwardly below the lower ends of said postsand being secured directly to said cross members, said connectingmembers extending continuously from end to end of the car andconstituting side sills for said underframe and brackets secured to thelower ends of said posts and to said connecting members.

2. A railway house car converted from a railway freight car, saidconverted house car including the metalliccross members of therailwayireight car, metallic side and door posts,

side plates, means securing the upper portions of said posts to saidside plates, metallic sheathing, means securing the upper margin of saidsheath- "ing .to said side plates, means securing said sheathing to saidposts in laterally outwardly spaced relation to the ends ofsaid crossmembers and metallic connecting members for closing the space betweensaid sheathing and said cross members, said connecting members beingZ-shaped in cross section and having an outer upstanding flange securedto and along the lower margin of said sheathing, an inwardly directedflange and a downwardly directed flange secured directly to the endfaces of said cross members, said connecting members extendingcontinuously from end to end of said car and forming the side sills forthe underframe of said converted house car, and brackets securing thelower ends of said posts to said connecting members.

3. A railway house car converted from a railway freight car, saidconverted house car including the metallic cross members of the railwayfreight car, metallic side and door posts spaced laterally outwardlyfrom said cross members, side plates, means securing the upper portionsof said posts to said side plates, metallic sheathing, said sheathingbeing secured along its upper margin to said side plates, said sheathingbeing secured to the outside of said posts in laterally outwardly spacedrelation to said cross members, integral combined connecting and sidesill members extending continuously from end to end of said car securedto and along the lower margin of said sheathing and extending inwardlytherefrom and secured directly to said cross members, brackets forsecuring said posts to said combined connecting and side sill members,said brackets being arranged below and having flanges extending upwardlythrough said latter members, said flanges being secured to the lowerportions of said posts.

4. A car side wall construction adapted to be applied as a unit in theassembly of a metallic railway house car and embodying metallic door andintermediate posts, metallic sheathing secured to said posts, a metallicmember extending continuously from end to end of said side wallconstruction and secured to and along the lower margin of saidsheathing, said posts terminating above said member and brackets rigidlysecuring said posts to said member, said metallic member extendinginwardly for securement directly to the ends of cross members of the carunderframe to constitute the side sill of said underframe.

5. A metallic car side wall construction for railway house carscomprising metallic sheathing and a metallic member embodying anupstanding flange, said member extending continuously from end to end ofsaid wall construction and said upstanding flange being secured to thelower margin of said sheathing, a door opening provided in said wallconstruction, said upstanding flange in said opening being bentoutwardly to provide a flange adapted to support a threshold plateextending from said door opening, said metallic member extendinginwardly for securement directly to the ends of cross membersoi. a carunderframe to space said sheathing laterally outwardly from said crossmembers and to form the side sill for said underframe.

6. A metallic car side wall construction for railway house carscomprising metallic sheathing, metallic door and intermediate posts anda metallic member extending continuously from end to end of said wallconstruction, said member being secured to the lower margin of saidsheathing and having an inwardly extending flange disposed below thelower .ends of said posts and a vertical flange adapted to be secureddirectly to the ends of cross members of a railway house car underframe,brackets secured directly to the lower ends of said posts and saidverticals flange of said member, said member forming the side sill forsaid underframe and end to end of said wall construction, said memberbeing secured to the lower margin of said sheathing and having aninwardly extending flange disposed below the lower ends 01 said postsand a vertical flange adapted to be secured directly to the ends ofcross members of a railway house car underframe, brackets secureddirectly to the lower ends of said posts and said vertical flange ofsaid member, said brackets being substantially identical for said doorposts and said intermediate posts, said member forming the side sill forsaid underframe and the means for spacing said sheathing laterallyoutwardly of said cross members.

CARL E. EKLIND.

